Nepal lies between India & China, high in the himalayas, a country full of diverse ethnicity, rich culture and awe-inspiring natural beauty. With a wide variety of flora and fauna in the country, Nepal is home to rarest species like the one-horned Rhino, the Bengal tiger and the national flower Rhododendron. Nepal is truly a god’s playground with stunning landscapes & majestic mountains. Here are some interesting facts on Nepal –

1. People in Nepal greet one another by saying “Nasmaste” or “Namaskar” with their palms together and bow their forehead. Namaste is directly translated as ‘I salute the God in you’.

2. Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha, the light of Asia. Siddhartha Gautam (Buddha) was born in Kapilvastu, Lumbini which lies in Nepal.

3. Nepal has over 80 ethnic groups and 123 Languages.

4. Nepal has the densest concentration of World Heritage Sites. Kathmandu valley alone has 7 World Heritage Cultural sites within a radius of 15kilometres.

5. Nepal is the only country with a non-rectangular flag. Nepal’s flag is maroon with two triangular shapes stacked on one another with a blue border. The upper triangle consists of themoon and the lower triangle consists of the sun.

6. Nepal has the only living goddess in the world called Kumari.

7. Cows are sacred in Nepal. Recently turned secular, Nepal still has the highest proportion of Hindus in the world. The cow is considered the national animal of the country.

8. Nepal was never under any foreign invasion. Thus Nepal does not have an independent day because Nepal was never colonized. Nepal is also the oldest country in South Asia.

9. Elephant polo game was originated in Nepal. Tiger Tops in Nepal is the headquarters of elephant polo and the site of the World Elephant Polo Championships.